The Bison - Vol. 90, No. 13

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April 25, 2014

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GAC renovation plans closer to becoming reality

In the next year and a half, the Ganus Athletic Center will undergo $4 million of renovations, including a new two-story weight room with free weights, selectorized weights and cardio equipment. The gym will be re-floored with four basketball courts and two volleyball courts and receive new basketball goals and partitioning curtains. A suspended track will go around the main gym area at the second floor level. The construction will tentatively begin in November 2015 and be completed in August 2016. The Rhodes Field House will also undergo a $2 million update, which will add 13,000 square feet, including a practice court, new entrance and weight room. For more details and renderings of both the GAC and the Rhodes, visit thelink.harding.edu.

Looking back on integration

By Cole Mokry

News Editor

In light of Black History

Month, Chancellor Emeritus

Clifton Ganus discussed his recollection of Harding’s integration and the events that transpired.

Camden Henry

Harding integrated in 1963, six years after the National Guard was called in to desegregate Central High School in Little Rock. Dr. George Benson was president at the time, and Ganus said Benson’s decision to delay integration was largely due to financial reasons. According to Ganus, who became president in 1965, Benson was afraid people would stop sending their children and their donations to the school if it was integrated. After pressure from students and faculty alike, Harding was integrated in 1963 and Ganus said they never looked back.

English professor Heath Carpenter, who is working towards a Ph.D. in heritage studies with a concentration in Southern culture, said there is not a simple answer to why Harding integrated when it did.

“I’m against the idea that there is a tidy, easy glance back at the past,” Carpenter said. “I like to look at the role the students and faculty played in standing up for what they believed in. (Racism) almost wasn’t even a conscious decision back then, it just permeated southern culture. It wasn’t eloquently thought about, it just was. Until they were confronted with it and said, ‘Wait a minute, why are things this way?’That happens when kids come to college; they push boundaries.”

In 1957, a group of students began a petition to then-president Benson calling for integration, signed by 854 of the 1,276 students and 92 faculty and staff members. Benson presented the petition

Students plan to spend break in service

By Paige McNeilly Student Writer

to the Board of Trustees, but it took a few more years before integration took place.

“Students and professors clearly grappled with this issue,” Carpenter said. “They would have come from backgrounds that were not racially progressive, but these people were clearly spiritually influenced to do something that their culture wasn’t pushing them to do.

As a Harding alum, that’s something that makes me proud, and I still see that in my students today: they grapple with important issues, often times counter-cultural ones.”

Ganus said the university accepted and gave financial assistance to black students starting in 1963, and the attitudes of students and faculty were generally positive.

“When we integrated in 1963, we had three black students and they were basically well-accepted,” Ganus said.

“Not by everybody; you’ll always have die-hards. Anytime you have change, you’ll have people for it and against it.”

Ganus said there were no acts of violence, no broken windows and no incidences of civil disobedience on campus throughout the civil rights movement. Tensions did not come to a head on Harding’s campus until 1969, he said.

“After the integration, there was a period of euphoria when we generally accepted it all,” Ganus said. “It was a little bit later when it got worse with the assassinations of Malcolm X in 1965 and Martin Luther King, Jr. (in 1968). Things were good at first, then they got worse because of the bad feelings from the shootings.”

Ganus said he received a phone call from a parent of a student threatening to send their son a gun so he could “take care of the Negro problem himself.”

SEE RACE, PAGE 2A

Harding students have a long history of opting out of typical spring break plans to instead embark on journeys that lead them to impoverished dirt-road communities in foreign countries and under-developed urban areas in the U.S.

Junior Katie Mitchell will travel to the City of Children in Ensenada, Mexico, for the fourth time and her third spring break trip. Mitchell said that sometimes the reward is greater than expected.

“As many times as I have been on this trip, I continually hope to bring them comfort and a promise of Jesus, but they

always seem to return that promise and comfort,” Mitchell said. “I always feel more blessed than I think I have blessed them.”

The City of Children takes in children from broken homes and bad situations. The team will spend their time building relationships with the children while hosting a VBS. The 42-person team will also do relief work in a small village outside of the city called El Zorillo.

Foreign mission trips are not the only ones offered by the Spring Break Missions Office. Nine of the 18 spring break mission trips this year are domestic campaigns, including one to Arlington Church of Christ in Knoxville, Tenn.

“I would much rather get out and serve and do good things instead of sitting at home watching Netflix,” sophomore Kendall Wallace said.

The Knoxville team will work on tasks that include packing and handing out food to the homeless.

“I hope to bring a little joy while also getting to know their lives and the struggles they face every day,” Wallace said.

Spring break missions are sometimes met with skepticism because of the short length of trips. Mitchell believes that people should go regardless.

“Jesus will rejoice with us no matter the length of the mission,” Mitchell said.

canceling or delaying school due to weather.

Making snow day decisions

By Alexis Hosticka Editor-in-Chief

In the last two weeks, President Bruce McLarty has called off school three times and implemented a delayed schedule once.

Despite the consecutive three and four-day weekends, students have still taken to Twitter to plead for more time off.

“Twitter campaigns have no impact on whether or not we have school,” McLarty said, laughing. “Twitter for me, it’s fun. It’s a way to deal with what could be frustrations of a snow day and to push out information. I can laugh about how frustrating (the weather) is and enjoy students’ creativity. I’ve learned that the

Board Games, page 4B

Looking for a good way to spend your Saturday afternoon? Check out some board game picks.

favorite number of snow days is ‘one more.’”

McLarty makes the official decision about implementing a delay or canceling school anytime there is bad weather.

If he is out of town, Vice President David Collins makes the call.

“I try not to make a call based off of a forecast,”McLarty said. “Each of the calls this year has been a little different. Sometimes it’s concern about faculty getting in safely but (Monday) it was sidewalks and everything around campus.”

According to Craig Russell, head of the Department of Public Safety, the university uses Everbridge Emergency Notification system to alert students about closings and

delays. He said some students have issues with receiving the messages multiple times in multiple forms of communication, but this can be stopped by simply confirming the receipt of the first message.

“We send out messages by telephone, texting and email,” Russell said.

“If you respond, you typically won’t get anymore unless there’s a second, new message.”

If McLarty cannot make the call the night before, he and others come to campus early in the morning on the day of to check the conditions.

For example, on Monday, Russell said that he was on campus at 5:30 a.m.

“I was up on the steps of the Benson and I see this

New York Fashion Week, page 3B

One senior had the opportunity to experience high fashion in the big city.

bundled up figure and it was Dr. McLarty,” Russell said. “He does a wonderful job. Most students wouldn’t know that he was here that early, but I think it’s pretty neat.”

After winter weather, the physical resource department is ready to clean up campus and make it safe. According to head of the department, Danny Deramus, the snow team salts the sidewalks, shovels snow, and does whatever they can to make campus safe.

“If people can get (to school) that’s fine but we have to have it safe around campus for kids to walk,” Deramus said. “So that’s what we concentrate on at that point is to have clear access on routes and keep the ice off as best we can.”

GRANT SCHOL | The Bison

Junior Tyler Thomas sleds down the hill on the side of the Benson Auditorium on a folding table on Monday, Feb. 16, the first snow day of the year. President Bruce McLarty makes all the final decisions about

2A | Friday, February 27, 2015

Club shows prepare for Spring Sing

By Layton Moore Student Writer

Months of preparation, hours of practice and new show ideas will soon come to life in just two short months at Spring Sing 2015. This year’s theme is “Famous for Fifteen,” which will focus on what fame is.

2B | Friday, February 27, 2015

Women’s club Delta Nu is performing independently for the first time this year.

Delta Nu has created an original storyline with hippies as the theme. The show has two directors, sophomores Micaleigh Coleman and Emily Ann Braziel. While both directors have multiple roles, Coleman focuses on music while Braziel focuses on the choreography.

“But there is only minimum opinion and if we like it great and if we don’t change it, no big deal.” Clubs are only allowed six hours of practice a week, but the hosts, hostesses and ensemble have a different schedule.

Junior Jesse Hixson said on average, the hosts and hostesses spend 13 hours a week rehearsing with ensemble and mic-stand singers.

really compares to nothing else.”

Junior Alaina Galbier, former Spring Sing participant and director, said she is looking forward to being on the other side of the stage this year. While Galbier said she is excited to relax, she also remembers what it was like for those behind the curtain and shares her advice with them.

Grad students present HPV research to clubs

By Hannah Moore Beat Reporter

Members from the Human Papillomavirus Awareness

Friday, February 27, 2015| 3A

“Everything goes through us, and if we like it, that’s fantastic,” Coleman said.

“The biggest challenge to being a host is certainly the amount of time we put in to make sure that it all comes together by show time, but the rewards far outweigh that,” Hixson said. “Getting to work with the most talented dancers, singers and production team on campus is an incredible blessing, and then getting to perform with them forms a bond that

“Be as organized as you can be from the get go, because if you are not organized, people will pick up on it and you’ll have a hard time reeling things in,” Galbier said. “Don’t be afraid of change. If you don’t like something, don’t settle for it, because ultimately it’s your baby and you gotta love what you’re putting on that stage or otherwise you’re going to be disappointed in yourself.”

4A | Friday, February 27, 2015

Friday, February 27, 2015 | 3B

Chance for seniors to tie up loose ends

By Hannah Perry

Student Writer Grad Fest is an event for seniors graduating in May and is March 17-19 in the Liberty Room in the David B. Burks American Heritage Building. Graduating seniors will have the opportunity to pick up their caps and gowns, find out which ceremony they will participate in, receive counseling about loans, leave forwarding addresses with the post office and purchase graduation announcements and class rings. Grad Fest committee member and Generation HU young alumni representative Sarah Bobo said the event is

for graduates to get everything ready for commencement in May.

(HPV) and Vaccination

Project team have visited several social club meetings on campus to share their research and information.

“We found that cervical cancer in the state of Arkansas was a significant problem, and White County was the second-worst county in the state,” Dr. Jeanie Smith, co-adviser of the awareness project, said. “HPV is a direct link to cervical cancer. The HPV vaccines that are available cause an immune response to one of the HPV strains that causes cancer. They’re highly available, very safe and extremely effective.”

Jones said. “We show the 30-second public service announcement that we’ve created and then we talk about what HPV is, how many people are infected with it nationally, how it leads to cervical cancer and how many people are diagnosed. We also talk about the vaccine available for both men and women that prevents HPV.”

Jones said they are trying to remove the stigma from HPV, a sexually transmitted infection, and place the spotlight on awareness and living a healthy life.

4B | Friday, February 27, 2015

“They will talk to Finance to make sure all loans and what not are in good standing so they can graduate,” Bobo said. “They will also talk to alumni relations about alumni programs.”

Dr. Ross Cochran, professor of Bible and committee leader of Grad Fest, said Grad Fest will save seniors time and hassle by attending.

“Graduating seniors are given a chance to take care of numerous tasks in a ‘one-stop’ event,” Cochran said. “They make sure everything is in order for their transition from

Race, from 1A

Ganus told the parent that the day he sent his son a gun was the day Ganus would send his son home. Ganus said the parent relented and even apologized, but it was indicative of a greater problem: there was no way to know how many, but some students were unhappy with the school’s integration to the point that they were complaining to their parents about it.

Even at their worst, Ganus said, race relations on Harding’s campus were not bad when compared to the rest of the country. In 1969, a group of students took pro-integration literature and burned it

student to alumni. Putting all the tasks they need to take care of in a single stop is for their benefit in a few minutes they can take care of a lot of the business necessary to graduate.”

Natalie Oliver, Grad Fest Provost Office representative, said the departments are trying to make the graduation process as easy as possible for seniors.

“Grad Fest is a good opportunity to get to numerous offices at one time,”Oliver said.“We’re trying to make it as easy for the students as we can. We realize your senior year is crazy, and you’re too busy to be jumping from office to office.”

According to Oliver, the

on the front lawn, but Ganus spoke with the students and made it clear that they would not cause any more trouble.

Over the years, race has become known as a generational issue. Ganus said people in his generation were brought up in a different time: a time when white people and black people did not go to the same school, use the same water fountain or intermarry. This is not an excuse for racist behaviors, he said, but he believes he has had to fight against the stereotype that everyone in his generation is racist.

“We are what we’re taught to be — good and bad, right and wrong,” Ganus said. “We’re a product of our experiences. There is a generational emphasis in

Provost Office decided to transform the graduation process into a celebration. They are attempting to do that again this semester.

“In the past, we just had the event right outside the bookstore, but this year, we put a tent on the front lawn and tried to make it carnival themed,” Oliver said. “We tried to make it more fun.”

Due to unpredictable weather, Grad Fest will be held in the Liberty Room in the Burks American Heritage building instead of the front lawn, but there will still be a carnival theme.

Grad Fest will take place March 17-19, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

the way we think. I do my best to not discriminate, but my generation has a different perspective than yours because our backgrounds are different.”

Ganus said we as a society still have work to do — look at what happened to Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and Eric Garner in New York, he said — but he is proud of Harding’s progress through the years.

“Is Harding perfect? No, because human beings are involved,” Ganus said. “But I’ve been to campuses all across this country and I don’t know any school that has a better spirit, a better group of people working together because they want to do what is right.”

Smith and Dr. Rayanne Story from the College of Pharmacy direct this team that was founded in 2009 by faculty and students who wanted to research something that would be relevant to the people who live in White County. “Surveys were administered, trying to determine what the community knows,” Smith said. “We surveyed members of the community mainly in our target vaccination age, which is teen boys and girls. The bottom line is that very few people were aware of the link between HPV and cervical cancer, and even fewer knew about the available vaccine. The goal of the team is to educate the community and encourage them to get the HPV vaccine. Ultimately, we want to stop cervical cancer.”

According to Ellen Jones, a third year pharmacy student on the HPV awareness team, the group found that the best way to educate students at Harding in particular was through meetings with social clubs.

“The team has a 10-minute presentation for as many men’s or women’s clubs who are interested,”

Say Thanks Day lets students appreciate donors

By Katie Diffine Student Writer

Say Thanks Day is an event that gives students the opportunity to acknowledge and say thank you to donors who have given to the Harding community. This year, Say Thanks Day will be held on March 4.

Senior Tin Nguyen is one of many students who has been given the opportunity to attend Harding because of donors and expressed why he is thankful for his opportunity.

“I owe a lot to the donors,” Nguyen said. “I don’t mean I need to give them back the money they gave. I mean that my time at Harding has completely changed my life in so many different ways, so without the donors’ support I wouldn’t have been able to go through that life-changing experience. Their support funded my education, yes. Really it gave me the chance to make my best friends, allowed me to travel the world and it provided me the chance to grow as a person.”

Say Thanks Day began in 2012 and with each passing year has grown more. Many students do not know much about donors and what they do to help our students financially, so the event was created to spread awareness.

This year, Say Thanks Day is encouraging the student body to say thanks via social media. The theme this year is “Tag Your Thanks.” This will encourage students to share their

thanks on social media so that all donors can see the impact they have had on students’ lives.

Junior Jake Tansey will be speaking in chapel on Say Thanks Day to encourage students to be more aware of the opportunities given to them by donors and the impact donors have made on the Harding community.

“This is the one day of the year where we can look and see how much these people have done for us and really just have time to appreciate them and their hard work and the gifts they give to students in the form of scholarships and just support and mentorship,” Tansey said. “It started out small and we’re building it up more and more every year.”

“We try to focus on cancer prevention and make it less about behavior,” Jones said. “HPV is a sexually transmitted disease, but we focus more on the fact that the virus exists and how you can protect yourself with the vaccine no matter when you may be exposed to it. For me, the most important thing is to make sure that everyone has all of the facts so they can make the best possible decision for themselves.”

Senior Iota Chi member Haleigh Edge listened to the team’s presentation at one of her social club meetings.

“The presentation by the HPV awareness team was definitely informative,” Edge said. “A lot of people don’t know what HPV is or how you get it and personally, I’ve never really thought about it. It’s always good to be informed about different diseases and vaccines.”

According to Smith, the presentations for social clubs will not end the HPV Awareness and Vaccination Project.

“We’ve switched gears a little bit from educating the county to educating undergraduate students here on the Harding campus,” Smith said. “After we do our social club education, we’ll start to focus again on the residents of White County because that’s been the true heart of this effort from the very beginning.”

BEYOND BEYOND THE BUBBLE

BOULDER, COLO. — Former chief of police Mark Beckner, who led the murder investigation of Jon Benet Ramsey in 1996, admitted on Wednesday that police mishandled the case due to “confusion” and a staff shortage. The case remains unsolved but will not be actively worked on unless new information becomes available.

GRANT SCHOL | The Bison

There will be a number of activities for students who wish to get involved and participate in Say Thanks Day including several contests, a devotional, and from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. students can eat free doughnuts and write thank you notes to donors. A concert on the front lawn will top off the day, featuring The Coasts, from 7-9 p.m.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Abercrombie & Fitch is being sued for allegedly discriminating against Samantha Elauf, a Muslim teenager. Elauf said the company would not hire her because she wore a headscarf for religious reasons. The company said Wednesday “they have a longstanding commitment to diversity,” but the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said she was denied a job because her hijab “clashed with Abercrombie’s style.”

Senior Maddie Awtrey receives an “I said thanks 2014” sticker on last year’s Say Thanks Day, March 19, 2014. Last year, students sent more than 1,400 thank you notes to donors.

Friday,

‘America the Beautiful’

rachel brackins

guest writer

My dad was in the Air Force for 20 years. Since I grew up as a military kid, it would come as no surprise if I had fostered a deep sense of American pride. Unfortunately, that’s not what happened. Instead, I learned to foster a deep sense of indifference. In high school, the government confused me and I never made the effort to understand it, so I sat content in my uneducated bliss. I didn’t hate America, but I sure didn’t love it. When I got to college I found myself surrounded by energetic and driven adventurers who shared the same goal: to get out of this country.

America is home to a ton of lazy, fat, self-centered ignorant people who only

care about money, celebrities and sports. But every other country? They are full of people who appreciate history, nature, beauty and kindness. They lead carefree, adventurous lives in intriguing cultures. Not to mention, they have stunning mountains and ridiculously clear water (I’m looking at you, Switzerland). Our generation is made up of wanderers who seek to be free and explore, and for some reason, America leaves a bad taste in our mouths.

I recently read a book called “A Walk Across America” in which the author, Peter Jenkins, set out to walk across the country. He began the journey as a disgruntled college student with a strong hatred for America, challenged by a professor to seek out what the “land of the free” is truly made of. Jenkins realized if he was going to hate America, he would need to experience it for himself. As he traveled, he encountered different cultures, beliefs and lifestyles. He built relationships, explored and slowly began feeling a deepening connection to the “home of the brave.” Spoiler alert: he

ends up not hating America. Not because someone raved about how great of a country it is, but because he searched for himself. I’ve got an adventurous spirit, and I’ve always sworn I will not end up living in America. But since coming to college I’ve been fortunate enough to go on multiple road trips and explore the incredible places here. And slowly, very slowly, I’m beginning to understand that America isn’t just home to lazy, fat, self-centered people. It’s home to loving, kind, hardworking adventurers who have intriguing stories. There are deep forests, dark caves, crisp waterfalls and mountains to be explored. So before you go running off to other countries, give this one a try. The more of this country I see and the more people I meet, the more truthfully I can say: “America the Beautiful.”

RACHEL BRACKINS is the asst. copy editor for the Bison. She may be contacted at rbrackins@harding.edu.

HU Gossip Girl and the golden rule

maximize the humorous reaction. Regardless, the players have no way of knowing where pieces started to change or fall out of place; they only get to hear the end result.

Conservation and global warming

The possibility of man-made global warming has been argued for decades, but it has received more and more attention since “An Inconvenient Truth” hit theaters in 2006. But don’t worry, I don’t want to convince you that global warming is or isn’t real. The global warming argument is hard to take sides in because the science supports both sides.

As a kid, I always liked the game telephone. In case you’ve never played, here is the premise: one person makes a statement, whether fact or fiction, and whispers it to someone else. The phrase is passed down a line of people until it reaches the very last kid, who then blurts it out. As you can imagine, the end result is usually very different from the original statement, and it’s usually pretty goofy. But this game designed to make children giggle also serves as a sobering metaphor for us as adults.

Think about how twisted the original phrase can become by the time it reaches the end of the line. Changes can be subtle and accidental, or the phrase can be strategically altered to

As a culture, we don’t place a whole lot of importance on gossip. It is commonplace and second nature. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, until the subject matter hits close to home.

The problem is only made worse when we have the luxury of remaining anonymous.

Recently, an Instagram account named “HU Gossip Girl” has gained a good deal of attention. The account reposts pictures of Harding students and makes comments about their daily lives. It started out as something seemingly harmless, but over time the posts have become increasingly personal, and at times even hateful. And while the fact that this account exists makes me cringe, possibly the most disturbing fact is that it is fueled by the student body. Students direct message Harding’s

“Gossip Girl” information about their peers and friends and leave it at his or her disposal. First of all, I can’t think of anyone who would enjoy having the details of their personal life shared with the entire campus, and yet when it comes to the sweet satisfaction of sharing a juicy detail about someone else, the “golden rule” gets momentarily brushed under the rug. Second of all, there is no way of knowing how much, if any, truth lies behind the information in those posts. And yet we as a student body have chosen to eat them up with a big spoon rather than demand the respect each person deserves.

It would be shortsighted to assume that this problem can just go away with the wave of a hand and some stern words. As long as social media exists, there will be accounts like this one. As long as human beings have lips, we will occasionally fall into the bad habit of gossiping. But nonetheless, I would like to deliver a challenge.

Rather than hunting down the mysterious “HU Gossip Girl” with pitchforks and torches, I advocate for making it everyone’s responsibility to show more love and compassion towards each other as a student body. When we speak of each other, let’s speak kindly. Instead of fueling fire, we should take a moment to consider how awful it feels when other people talk about us, especially if misinformation is involved. Instead of focusing on petty details, we should put the bigger picture of loving our neighbors into perspective the next time we open our mouths (or tap our screens). It all boils down to our capacity for love, and how much bigger it needs to grow in comparison to our capacity for serving ourselves.

Disconnecting to stay connected

jordan doyle

guest writer

Ilove Netflix. From binge-watching seasons of TV shows to discovering new movies, I love everything about it. I am sure the majority of people on this campus do, too. All I heard about last week during the “icepocalypse” was how it was a perfect opportunity for Netflix days.

When not watching Netflix, I’m either listening to music, reading or texting. When out and about, people text, check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. I have noticed this is the case when people are by themselves or with their friends. People in this age are very “connected.” We have access to technology, and therefore access to events around the world, 24/7. Any time we want, we can whip out our

phones and check to see what is going on in a certain place. I am not saying there is necessarily anything wrong with this. Like I said before, I love Netflix, and all the technology I use. They are great distractions from life at times — and sometimes that’s the problem. Distractions. We all need them in our lives. If we didn’t have distractions and various forms of escapism, I am convinced we would go crazy. I am not just talking about distractions from studying or from a bad breakup. I am talking about distractions from life in general, and from our own heads. In fact, I cannot remember the last time I just sat in silence. If I am honest with myself, sitting in silence can be a pretty scary thing. In silence, with no distractions around us, we are forced to encounter thoughts we did not even know we had to begin with. We can come across thoughts about our society, ourselves, God or our belief system in general.

While it can be frightening, having those thoughts does not have to be a bad thing. Our society today markets all

of its new technological advancements as connections to the world. Through being connected, though, we really just end up being disconnected. We can very easily become disconnected with our surroundings, our friends and ourselves. I am not encouraging throwing away all of our distractions. Rather, I am simply encouraging everyone, myself included, to just take a break from them every once in a while. Disconnect yourself from the things that make you disconnected.

Sit in silence. See what thoughts pop into your head. Let’s not stop there, though. Once you do that, discuss these ideas with people. Only when we discuss those thoughts can you see that you’re not alone. You may just find that the person sitting next to you is having those exact same thoughts. But you’ll only become connected with people after you’ve disconnected.

Last year, John Oliver summarized “a mountain of research” showing that since the 1970s, global temperatures and sea surface temperatures have risen, heat waves have increased and glaciers have been melting. In 2011, 489 American scientists were polled, with 97 percent agreeing that global temperatures have been rising and 84 percent agreeing that humans are contributing. Of all the academic papers concerning global warming published from 1991 to 2011, 97 percent argued that global warming is man-made. No scientific body of national or international standing has refuted man-made global warming since 2007, when the American Association of Petroleum Geologists adopted a non-committal position.

The public, however, remains skeptical. A Gallup poll conducted last year showed that one in four Americans doubt global warming. Many feel that it is little more than a political platform and refuse to consider it as a scientific issue. Others believe that the earth’s climate will develop as it will, regardless of human action. According to the Global Warming Policy Foundation, the average temperature of the planet hasn’t risen since 1997. Additionally, according to the European Space Agency, ice in the Arctic increased by 50 percent from 2012 to 2014. A recent survey published in the peer-reviewed journal “Organization Studies” reported that of 1,000 geoscientists and engineers, only 36 percent stated that humans are causing global warming. Even after considering all of the evidence, one would really be justified in assuming either side of the argument.

While I’m not convinced whether man-made global warming is or isn’t happening, I am convinced of the importance of conservation. The main thrust of people who believe in global warming is to cut down on manufacturing. The easiest ways to do this are recycling goods that are more economical to repurpose than manufacture and cutting down on energy sources such as electricity and gasoline.

I’m not an ultra-conservationist by any means. I’m not the type to turn the shower off while I wash my hair, and I don’t have any reusable shopping bags. I believe that the earth is here for us. But at the same time, it is so easy to conserve. If you can easily do something to help conserve the planet’s resources, then why wouldn’t you? It is so easy to make a difference by making minimal adjustments to your daily life.

If using shopping bags is going to make things easier for you, then use them. If I have several loads of groceries, then I am going to use plastic bags. But if I can carry all of my groceries with two hands, I’m not going to take a plastic bag just for the handles.

If the recycling bin is right next to the trash can, why not recycle? You can make a difference by simply throwing it in a different bin. If you’re leaving an empty room, why not turn the light off? Unless you’re on the go, get water from the sink rather than from a disposable bottle. Considering riding a bike when you visit Slader’s.

Conserving resources and cutting down on waste doesn’t necessarily require a massive lifestyle change. You can help preserve our world by simply making an effort to be conscious of the products and energy you use.

| Friday, February 27, 2015

alexis hosticka

For what it’s worth

Friday, February 27, 2015 |

Examining wage ‘inequality’

4B | Friday, February 27, 2015

Sorry to burst your feminist bubble and shatter the perfection of Patricia Arquette’s Oscar acceptance speech, but male/female wage discrimination has been blown way out of proportion.

Ever since I can remember, one of the constant complaints of feminists has been that women make about $0.77 to every $1 that men make. According to a video by Learn Liberty, “if you add up all the incomes of women and men and divide by the number of women in the labor force and then do the same thing for men, what you’ll find is, on average, women do make about 75 percent of what men do.”

But you can’t just stop there and claim nationwide wage inequality and discrimination against females.

There is so much more behind this statistic that the majority of people ignore. The problem is that the comparison is not formed based on the juxtaposition of a man and woman working the same job with the same hours and same experience. The comparison is not equal, so therefore the pay is not equal.

According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, one factor that influences women’s pay is the large portion of women who leave the workforce and return after a long break. When mothers leave the labor market, “they have less work experience than similarly-aged males” when they return. This can result in a lower wage not because they are women, but because there is an experience gap.

Another area that affects wages is the type of job that men and women hold. For example, according to a Forbes.com article, “women hold only 27 percent of all computer science jobs.”

According to the Learn Liberty video, men tend to make educational choices aimed toward engineering, computer sciences and math while women go into the social sciences, psychology and nursing. The pay in the fields that men tend to choose is generally higher — not because they are men but because of the fields themselves.

Rather than take issue with a statistical pay gap, we should respect what women are doing in fields such as healthcare and social sciences where men are few and far between.

According to The Wall Street Journal, men also tend to dominate high-risk jobs. Ninety-two percent of work-related deaths in 2012 were men. Riskier jobs pay more — not because men are working in them, but because of the risk.

So yes, a pay gap does exist. But it’s not an issue of discrimination and sexism — it’s actually logical and explainable. And I don’t think it’s a problem either. If women want to work in social sciences and men prefer riskier jobs, so be it. There is nothing wrong with women choosing to take time off to be stay-at-home moms, and it is completely understandable that employers would pay them less because of that gap in experience. But something like that doesn’t make women less valuable, they just work in a way that isn’t measured monetarily.

ALEXIS HOSTICKA is the editor-in-chief for the Bison. She may be contacted at ahostick@harding.edu.

Twitter: @alexis_hosticka

By the efforts of a man named Carter G. Woodson Black History Week was born in 1926. However, it wasn’t until the 1960s that it fully expanded into a month of celebration and recognition. The significance of the month of February stems from the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass.

Now you may be thinking to yourself, why do I care? Better yet, I should have seen this article coming. But let me enter your thoughts for just a few more minutes. Since coming to Harding from Orlando, I can truthfully say that I’ve experienced a lot of things. My siblings and I grew up in the suburbs and became accustomed to going to schools where we were the minority. Therefore, coming here wasn’t a huge step outside of my comfort zone, but that doesn’t mean that I’ve never felt uncomfortable.

You can probably imagine that being a part of a minority group has led me to experience racism sometimes (and I don’t necessarily mean on campus). I’m not writing this article for you

to pity me or anyone else who has experienced the same injustice, but instead for you to gain some insight. When I look at people like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dorothy Height, Doug Williams, Rosa Parks, Desmond Tutu and Lorraine Hansberry, I see many different things. Aside from the color of their skin, I see people who decided not to accept the standards or criteria given to them by society and those around them. These brave, remarkable human beings challenged presuppositions and perceptions of what blacks were, and still are, capable of accomplishing.

I know that because of people like them, I am able to have the same equal opportunities as every other student here. Because of them, I, as a black student, don’t have to be held to any arbitrary standards. These standards include those which tell me how I should behave, converse, or even dress. I strongly believe that Black History Month is, at its core, the pure definition of change and exactly what it looks like. I appreciate the fact that Black History Month has been a frequent topic in chapel this month because it deserves to be recognized, and not for the benefit of one group of people but for everyone. It encompasses so much more than the trials and hardships of one race. It is a reminder to all that patient actions speak louder than hateful words and that “it always seems impossible until it’s done,” as spoken by the late Nelson Mandela. Black history should

Just the Clax Shaving grace

As far as I was concerned, the beard could not come off too soon. The scene was Kharkov, Ukraine, in the summer of 2005. I was volunteering for two weeks at a children’s camp with a group of Harding students. Having never before spent more than three days overseas, I had a lot to learn about international living. Experienced travelers will slap their foreheads when I admit that my first blunder was not bringing an adapter plug for those high voltage European power outlets. Yeah, I was that guy.

As if I were playing the part of a bumbling American tourist in some public service video, within minutes of unpacking my stuff, I plugged in my electric razor and started trimming the transcontinental stubble that had formed during the flight. It took a total of two seconds for a power surge to fry the mechanism. You might think that a Luddite who still prints out photographs and still reads the TV guide would naturally know how to use an old-fashioned safety razor. But you would be wrong.

I had never used a Gillette product in my entire life. So when 220 Slavic volts turned my Remington into Chicken Kiev, I was left 6,000 miles from home and without the means to shave. So helpless was my primitive state, I might as well have been on “Gilligan’s Island” trying to get a clean shave with a coconut. To make matters worse, I had never tried to grow a beard before, and the result was the facial equivalent of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

The itching nearly drove me insane. I couldn’t stop scratching my face.This lasted almost a week. Eventually, I begged one of our Ukrainian translators for mercy. He agreed to bring his straight razor to the bathroom and put me out of my misery. No — not Sweeney Todd style. But instead my new friend Vitaly lathered my face with shaving cream and went to work. I had never been so grateful to be rid of facial hair, such as it was. While it was difficult to explain what was going on to the kids who kept coming into the bathroom during the procedure, I cared nothing for my dignity. At that moment, I just wanted relief. I have not had a beard since. By contrast, the curators of the Cairo Museum found themselves in exactly the opposite situation last summer, trying desperately to put a beard back on. It seems there was an accident in the main exhibit, when a janitor knocked the beard off King Tutankhamen’s famous burial mask. Scrambling to hide his blunder, the poor guy found a tube of Krazy Glue and quickly reunited the pharaoh with his goatee.

indeed be considered American history.

If you wish to take anything from all that I have to say it should be this: I am proud to be black, but black is simply not all that I am. Just like any other student here, I shouldn’t have to be subject to people’s standards based on the tint of my skin. Like John Mayer, I’m still waiting on the world to change, and I am thankful for the trailblazers in the past that made it possible for me and others to enjoy the rights we have today. I hope that this month isn’t just something that we allow to pass by without it changing us and our mentality about loving others who come from different backgrounds. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream that one day no one would be “judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” and that one day black children and white children would be able to join hands together as sisters and brothers. We are the reality of his dream.

Have we completely perfected his dream as a university, as a body of Christ or as a society? No. However, I have faith in the fact that each day brings a new opportunity to love people more courageously than the day before.

But when he realized the repair didn’t look so hot, he tried to remove the beard again with a spatula, scratching the 3,000-year-old artifact in the process.

What was this guy thinking? Did he not know how strong this stuff was? Did he not read the warning on the label: “Keep away from skin, clothing, glassware, and Egyptian mummies”? Obviously, he missed those Krazy Glue commercials from the ’80s, the ones with the construction worker dangling in mid-air because his hard hat is glued to a steel beam. This janitor certainly missed the news story about the man in Maryland who accidentally used super glue instead of eye drops. And clearly our hero never saw “The Lego Movie.”

Now the museum has called in a conservation specialist from out of town to see if the damage can be undone. In the worst-case scenario, the museum may have to paint a soul patch on King Tut’s chin. In the meantime, the responsible party has been transferred to the Louvre in Paris, where he will look after the Venus de Milo. He can hardly do much harm there. Just in case, though, his cleaning cart has been stocked only with Elmer’s School Paste. And a Rubbermaid spatula.

MICHAEL CLAXTON is a guest writer for the Bison. He may be contacted at mclaxto1@harding.edu.

At the Bison, it is our goal to serve the Harding University student body with integrity, truth and open ears. However, we believe that meeting that goal is a two-way street between our staff and the public it serves. We pledge to keep our eyes and ears open to what our community has to say and hope that, in return, that community will be an interactive audience, sharing its stories with us. We also pledge to do the basics: Report accurate and relevant information, check our facts, and share them in a professional, timely manner. If you have any story ideas, questions, comments or concerns for the Bison staff, please email Alexis Hosticka, the editor-in-chief, at ahostick@harding.edu. “ The Bison (USPS

577-660) is published weekly (except vacations, exams and summer sessions), 20

contribute work under the byline “guest writers.” Due to this arrangement, staff writers may rewrite

identifying the work as the guest writers’ own.

while

Michael Claxton

guest writer

aubrie larkins

Shane Schock

Schock Talk

Tweet at me

When I started my column “SchockTalk,” I wanted to do more than just write about my concerns or opinions on the topic of sports. I wanted to open it up for people to voice their questions or their feelings on what they wanted to hear.

This “tweet me” article is here for all students, faculty or individuals in the community out there who want to be heard. I want to know what you, the readers, want to know about your Bisons and get an honest response from someone who works closely with the various teams. I also tune in and follow a lot of sports from outside the university and would love to answer and tackle any topic that may come to mind.

I always try my best to give an honest assessment of our teams and never want to leave my readers feeling I am leading them astray. I want “SchockTalk” to be a column that people can read knowing I put my feelings out on the table and show my passion for sports.

This week’s Bison issue will be our last until March 20. That gives you some time to think of some questions and tweet me for responses. I will choose four or five of the best questions and answer them in the March 20 issue. The latest tweet that can be considered for publication will be March 16.

Here are a few example questions that can be asked for “SchockTalk.” Again, these questions are not only limited to Harding sports, but questions outside the university can be asked as well.

Q: Did you expect the basketball team to do as well as they did in the GAC tournament going into spring break?

A: I did. I believe when they’re able to play lockdown defense they’re tough to beat. With great defense comes great offense, and the Bisons shoot three’s as well as anyone in the GAC.

Q: My sports hero is Jackie Robinson because of his impact on the game of baseball. If you could pick a sports icon to hang out with for a day, who would it be? Either past or present.

A: Mine would be Greenbay Packers legendary coach, Vince Lombardi. His coaching style allowed him to get the best out of his players both on and off the field. He demanded excellence and wore his emotions on his sleeve. I would love to pick his brain.

These are just some simple examples of questions I am looking to answer for my readers. So, if you have a question or want to know my opinion on a topic, do not hesitate to tweet me @Shane_M_Schock and use the hashtag #SchockTalk. Thanks, and I hope to hear from you soon. #SchockTalk

SHANE SCHOCK is sports editor for the 20142015 Bison. He may be contacted at sschock@harding.edu.

Twitter:

@Shane_M_Schock

February 27, 2015

Vol. 90, No. 15

Bisons forget past, focus on present

By Shane Schock Sports Editor

The Men’s basketball team suffered another tough loss, 76-78, at East Central University Feb. 21 in Ada, Okla., with a three-pointer at the buzzer. This defeat gives the team its third straight loss and its fifth loss at the buzzer this year.

“Obviously they’re hurting,” head coach Jeff Morgan said. “You put so much into it and it comes down to a last shot or a ball going out of bounds. It just comes down to stuff like that, but I think they’ve handled it well and responded in a really good way.”

Following the tough, threegame stretch, Morgan said nothing is as bad or good as it seems and somewhere in the middle is reality. He said they want to stay in the now and focus on staying positive and continue the process of moving past these games.

Even with the recent struggle, Harding is still in good shape at No. 4 in the Great American Conference (GAC). With just two games remaining, the Bisons look to find a rhythm.

“Last year we lost our last five games going into the tournament but it wasn’t because of bad basketball,” Morgan said. “With the (Arkansas) Tech game on the road, obviously that can be a big game for seeding, and coming home to play No. 1 Ouachita, we have a chance to come away with some positives and go into the tournament with a great mindset.”

Last season the team was led by two seniors, point guard Weston Jameson and forward Hayden Johnson, but this season takes on a different look as it is primarily a young team with only one senior, Mak Boskalio. This brings new elements to the way Morgan approaches this year’s tournament.

“It’s different,” Morgan said. “We’re playing more younger guys than we’ve had to, but they have gotten some great experience throughout

the year and continue to grow in confidence and take some positives into the GAC tournament.”

Morgan said the team still has great leaders, but just younger players. He said he is hoping for some “youthful innocence” that can take them far. Morgan said he believes the conference tournament is wide open.

One of the stat leaders for the Bisons is junior center Andraz Kavas, known as “AK.”

Kavas is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 20 points a game for the Bisons, and has led Harding in scoring 13 of the team’s 24 games thus far.

“I worked really hard in the summer and in preseason,” Kavas said. “I am one of the older guys on the team and knew I would have more responsibilities, but most of the credit goes to my coaches and teammates. They trust me and have confidence in me which makes it that much easier.” Kavas said in the recent losses they started out poorly, but finished strong in the second half to make the games close. He said unfortunately sometimes you can not help it when a last-second shot from the opposing team goes in, and a last second shot for

the Bisons does not.

Second-leading scorer, junior guard Blake McNair, is one of the leaders on the team’s roster who has taken it upon himself to lead in different ways.

“To be honest with you, I would say we have multiple leaders on this team,” McNair said. “We all have our own personalities that allow us to lead in different ways. We all respect and care about each other which I don’t think can be said about a lot of college basketball teams.”

Teams generally always look to improve and get better. McNair said their

improvements are focused on the defensive side. He said outside the buzzer-beater three against East Central, they stayed relevant in that game due to their effort on defense. McNair said the team looks to keep improving at the end of the season going into the tournament.

The Bisons play No. 1 seed Ouachita Baptist University Saturday, Feb. 28, at the Rhodes Field House at 7:30 p.m. to finish out the regular season. Harding will make the trip to Bartlesville, Okla. on Wednesday for the GAC tournament starting March 5.

Tennis looks to rebound after back-to-back losses

By Madeline Jones

Student Writer

The men’s tennis team began play on Feb. 2 in Conway against Hendrix College, sweeping them 9-0. Their next match was against Delta State University in Arkadelphia on

Feb. 19, which they lost 2-5.

“Delta State was our first tougher match, and we definitely had our struggles,” senior John Rowden said. “We are a young team, so we are learning. I think we will be fine.”

Head coach Marco Ruiz

felt the same, and said that challenging matches early on will help the team in the long run.

“The loss to Delta State certainly brought us closer as a team and made us stronger physically and mentally,” Ruiz

said. “This match was the first true challenge to a few of the players and I am confident that they grew from the experience.”

The team has 11 players and the majority are freshmen and sophomores.

“We are a more secure team this year,” sophomore Brandon Hogland said. “For example, if our number one guy gets hurt, we can have someone fill in.”

Hogland also said that this year’s team has a new dynamic, and that one of their biggest strengths is that many players are evenly matched in ability. Both he and Rowden agreed that having such a balanced team will help them in the long run.

“Right now we’re not where we want to be,” Rowden said. “But at the same time we have so much more potential than what we played against Delta State. So we talked about how right now we’re here but as the season goes on we want to go up and peak at the right time. With a team as solid as we have that is very realistic.”

team has their next

One of the things they are continuing to work on is relationships within the team

and with their head coach.

“My relationship with my players is based on trust and respect,” Ruiz said. “They know that I like to work hard to make them better tennis players and, above all, better Christians. I feel very blessed to be able to share my experience and knowledge of the sport with them.”

Rowden and Hogland echoed their coach’s words and said they both understand and value Ruiz’s decision making and trust his guidance for the team.

“He is very good at being close to all his players, which is great,” Rowden said. “I think you need that personal relationship with your coach especially with a smaller program like we have.”

Despite their early struggles, confidence is high, and Rowden was not shy about his expectations for his senior year.

“It is going to be a fun season,” he said. “I fully expect us to win our conference.”

The Bisons next match is tonight at 8 p.m. in Springfield, Mo. against Drury University.

Junior Andraz Kavas goes for a layup against Southeastern Oklahoma State University on Feb. 14. The Bisons lost to SEOSU 79-74 at the Rhodes Field House.

GRANT SCHOL | The Bison

GRANT SCHOL | The Bison

Sophomore Brandon Hogland returns a serve at practice on Feb. 25. The Tennis

match today in Springfield, Mo. against Drury University.

NFL 101

The NFL Combine is one of the most exciting times of the year for avid football fans. After watching this year’s combine, I found three things to take away heading into the Draft.

Lady Bisons fight past East

Central University

Harding looks to finish strong with two games to play and GAC title in sight

By Andrea DeCamp

Student Writer

The Lady Bison basketball team faced East Central University in Ada, Okla. on Saturday, Feb. 21. The Lady Bisons were victorious in their match up against the Lady tigers with a score of 58-53.

The team’s two leading scorers were senior guard Arielle Saunders with a team high of 18 and freshman forward Sydney Layrock finishing behind her with 12.

“During the game we had a lot of big moments,” Layrock said. “We got stops when we needed to, we hit free throws when we needed them and a lot of players hit shots when we needed them.”

The Lady Bisons stresses having

a stronger defensive presence, and improving their defense when on the road shows they are seeing results.

“We have really been emphasizing our defense this past week, and we came out and showed a strong defensive mindset for the entire game,” Saunders said. “It’s always tough to win on the road, so getting two big road wins last week was big for us.”

The Lady Bisons’ record is now 19-5 overall and 15-3 in the Great American Conference (GAC). The team is currently sitting atop the conference and has clinched a birth into the GAC tournament.

Layrock said the team has become a force to be reckoned with and seem to get the job

done when the team has needed it the most.

As the season moves forward, the team will continue to work toward finishing up the season and head into conference tournament.

“I’m looking forward to the next game and just taking it one game at a time,” Layrock said. “I’m not ready for the team to be done any time soon.”

The women are ready for the rest of the season and will continue to work to improve its teams defense as it approachs the coming games.

“I was proud of the way we played defensively,” Saunders said. “Between getting stops and rebounding well, we feel good about the game. Going into the

postseason and the conference tournament next week, it’s extra important for us to be solid on that end of the floor. The game Saturday was a good place to build off of for that aspect of our preparation.”

The team has focused on the aspect of defense and looks to continue improving on it week after week.

“We have improved our defense,” Layrock said. “Once we did that our shots started to fall.”

The Lady Bisons play their last regular season matchup Feb. 28. at the Rhodes Field House against Ouachita Baptist University at 5:30 p.m. The team will then travel to Bartlesville, Okla., to compete in the GAC tournament that goes from March 3-8.

Bisons track and field excels at Samford meet

By Rachel Young Student Writer

Despite bad weather, the Bisons track and field teams had a successful meet Feb. 13-14 at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. The men’s and women’s track and field teams competed in multiple events and broke multiple records.

In the field events, sophomore Trey Adkison qualified to be the first Bison to reach the NCAA provisional standard in pole

vault. Adkison cleared 15 feet, 5 inches, and said he was pleased with the results.

“My warm-ups were feeling a little sluggish, but I had been having some really good practices,” Adkison said. “And when I went out there, it ended up being my best meet ever.”

Adkison broke his own record for indoor track with his record at 15 feet, 1 inch, as well as tying for second place in the Lone Star Conference (LSC) in

Baseball Edition

What is your favorite childhood cartoon?

If you were stranded on an island and could only have one thing, what would it be?

the pole vault.

The track highlights include the 4x400-meter relay team of junior Kevin Naceanceno, junior Trevor Holloway, freshman Jared Parker, and senior Dillon Bagwell. They ran the relay in 3:18.64, the third-fastest time in Harding’s NCAA era.

The women’s team also had a successful meet resulting in an NCAA automatic qualifier, senior Ewa Zaborowska in the 3,000-meter dash.

Zaborowska was named the LSC Runner of the Week along with the NCAA DII Women’s Track Athlete of the Week.

According to head coach Stephen Guymon, Zaborowska also beat the Harding record in her 3,000-meter dash. Guymon said he was pleased with her results as well as how the team did overall.

“For me, the type of athletes we have, our school represents the right things,”

Guymon said.

The Bisons track and field team will have their next meet at the LSC Championship, hosted at the Texas Athletic Training Center in Lubbock, Texas from Feb. 28-March 1, before heading to the NCAA National Championship indoor meet March 13-14 in Birmingham, Ala.

The track team will not be back in Searcy until April at the Outdoor Harding Invitational on April 4.

1. There is no shortage of talent at receiver. Speed, power and an insane amount of overall athleticism describes these players perfectly. Headlining this talented group is Alabama’s Amari Cooper. Cooper is, for lack of a better term, a man-child. He was able to absolutely embarrass defensive opponents in one of the most competitive conferences in football. His route running during his combine workout was downright graceful and he is sure to land as a top five pick. One of the best stories coming out of the receivers is University of Alabama-Birmingham’s JJ Nelson. Nelson had the fastest 40-yard dash of any position, running a 4.28. What’s crazy is that he may be the last player ever drafted from the school, which terminated its football program after this past season.

2. Winston vs. Mariota. Between these guys you have two Heisman winners, two very talented players, but only one top quarterback. Mariota is a great “character” guy and throws with immense accuracy, but I feel like Winston is the obvious No. 1 pick. Winston has elite arm strength and beautiful foot work, which he showed off during his drills. Mariota is a system guy who can become a great NFL quarterback in time, but Winston is NFL ready and has a hunger to prove himself.

3. The Defensive Line is stacked. Much like the receivers, the defensive line class has great potential. In the interior you have the University of Southern California’s Leonard Williams and Washington’s Danny Shelton. These two guys are tremendous run stoppers and can move the line of scrimmage. One guy who really impressed me was Kentucky’s Bud Dupree. Although he is listed as an outside linebacker, he has the size, strength and speed to put his hand in the dirt and be extremely effective.

I watched “Toy Story” multiple times a day.

What is your dream vacation destination? The moon. To watch a game at every MLB park in one summer.

Who is going to win the 2015 World Series?

A magic conch shell like used in season 3, episode 42 of “SpongeBob.”

Probably a week long trip to the Caribbean with my mom, dad, sister and her husband.

“Tom and Jerry.”

Floaties.

Since I have been to every overseas program trip, there is nowhere else I need to go.

We’ll see.

Cubs.

Allen Mote guest space

GRANT SCHOL | The Bison

Sophomore guard A’ndrea Haney drives to the basket against Southeastern Oklahoma State University on Feb. 14, in the Rhodes Field House. The Bisons fell to the Savage Storm, 59-67.

Jacob Stripling Pitcher Alan Copeland First Base Hunter Payne Pitcher Harrison Hunter Center Field Davis Richardson Catcher

“Tom and Jerry.”

SpongeBob SquarePants

Easy: Chicago Cubs. Go Cubs go. Texas Rangers.

The Atlanta Braves after a 123-39 season carried by silver slugger BJ Upton.

Minka Kelly (lyla Garrity from Friday Night Lights).

A boat.

“Scooby Doo.” Goggles. Camp Hope, a weight loss camp for boys. The

Rapper involves crowd at Open Mic Night

Wesley

Hargon releases hip-hop EP “Rose Petals”

By Taylor Gleaves

Student Writer Freshman Wesley Hargon has performed three times at Open Mic Nights hosted by the Campus Activities Board (CAB), and has taken advantage of the opportunity to share his talent of rapping. Hargon said he began rapping when he was 12 years old and his passion for hip-hop has grown ever since. Hargon has written and recorded his own EP album titled “Rose Petals” which he released on Dec. 1, 2014 under his stage name ThaGeek.

“At the last Open Mic I performed the first single from my EP called ‘Ever Again,’” Hargon said. “It is a song that I wrote after a very interesting discussion about Jesus in my freshman Bible class. The song is quite catchy, so when I performed

it at Open Mic I got the crowd to sing along with me when the chorus came around, making it one of the coolest performances I’ve had at Open Mic.”

Hargon said performing helps him express his emotions.

“I want to communicate faith, encouragement and love through my music,” Hargon said. “I want to be an artist that everyone can enjoy listening to and I want to make hip-hop songs that people can relate to. Hip-hop is a form of music that is looked down upon because of the many negative stereotypes and stigmas attached to it. I want to remind people that everything you do can be made to glorify God.”

Hargon creates music, videos and photography and has a YouTube channel where he uploads weekly videos

that display his passion for sharing the gospel.

“The (YouTube) channel is called ACP which stands for ‘A Christian Perspective,’” Hargon said. “It is currently the task that I devote most of my time and creativity on. The most important thing I have learned as an artist is to take advantage of all the opportunities you have to do something great because you are given those opportunities for a reason.”

Senior Summer Gibson, student director of CAB, said that the drive behind having Open Mic Night is to foster the opportunity for students to express themselves through their talent of performance.

“(Hargon) has an outstanding kind of confidence that it takes to step up to the mic and share your emotions through your words,” Gibson said.

“It

Myers-Briggs club welcomes introverts, extroverts alike to weekly meetings

By Nakisha Milton Student Writer

“It is up to each person to recognize his or her true preferences,” said Isabel Briggs Myers, one of the founders of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) tool.

One year ago, a group of friends on campus who share interest in the MBTI started the MBTI club and have been meeting ever since. According to senior Heath Church, one of the leaders of the group, the club serves multiple functions.

“We created the club with three main goals in mind,” Church said. “The first goal is to educate people about the MBTI and the 16 possible types that you can score on the test. Our second goal is to help you understand how different types process the world and communicate differently. The final goal is to discuss our own personality theories that our members have and just have a great time hanging out and

By Addison Hurst Student Writer New

Fashion Week

York

(NYFW) is the week of all weeks for anyone who is someone in the fashion world. On Feb. 11, a Harding student was able to grace the red carpet.

Senior Elizabeth Harper was given the opportunity to accompany fashion blogger and alumna Emily Gemma to New York for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Harper said the week was filled with fashion, celebrities, glamorous parties and the full New York experience.

This was not Gemma’s first go-around at fashion week. She had been several times, but this was Harper’s first time to attend the event. Harper was able to view a taping of the popular television show “Fashion Police,” as well as be a part of a TRESemme promotional video for the “shattered bob” hairstyle.

While TRESemme was shooting a video of Gemma, some people in charge approached Harper about doing a video herself. Twenty minutes later she was getting hair and makeup done by TRESemme and styling by model and television personality Louise Roe. After getting set up, Harper was interviewed for E! Network.

“It was really nerve-wracking because I had no idea

what I was going to say before the interview,” Harper said.

“It was all on the spot, but they both were a lot of fun and went well. Louise Roe is so cool and just as sweet as she is beautiful.”

Gemma is a former Harding student turned fashion blogger. She works with TRESemme, the official hair care sponsor of NYFW. The pair was pampered by the beauty brand and was able to attend several shows. On her blog, The Sweetest Thing, Gemma gushed about her experience getting to work with TRESemme.

The duo was able to attend the Desigual Fashion Show. The whole week was a preview of what everyone has to look forward to in the world of fashion. According to Harper we should be on the lookout for bell-bottoms, fringe and patterns in the upcoming season.

Senior Shelby Daniel, who has a fashion blog of her own, aspires to live in New York and work in the fashion industry. When she saw that her friend got to experience that first hand, she was excited for her.

“I think it’s such an incredible thing that Elizabeth went to fashion week,” Daniel said. “We are very similar-minded when it comes to how much we love fashion, so I know it was a dream.”

INTJs are clever, analytical, pragmatic and logical. They are not scared to tell someone (or themselves) that they're being stupid.

getting to know each other.”

The MBTI club has not become an official club and does not have any club fees, according to Church. The club is similar to other clubs on campus in that it builds new relationships, but it offers a unique approach to meeting new friends and sustaining the friendships based on the MBTI typing system.

“Once you get to know the personality types and the differences, you just get to know more about the other people around you and how to deal with them,” sophomore Cassidy Hopper said. “I joined a social club my freshman year and it’s cool and everything, but then I started going to the Myers-Briggs meetings last fall, and I started getting into learning about personalities so now I’m typing other people in my club and I’ve made more friends that way.”

The MBTI club embraces all personality types and wants its members to do the same. For fun, they have gotten together for hiking trips, bon-

fires, cookouts and movie nights where they have typed the main characters. According to sophomore Sam Klein, they vote on other activities to do based on the group’s interest.

“We learn the system, we enjoy the system and we try to be social about it,” Klein said. “The whole point is that it’s a social system.”

All students are welcome to attend the club meetings, which take place every Tuesday in Mabee room 203 at 7:15 p.m. Whether an extrovert or introvert, this club offers something for everyone.

“Just come to the meetings,” Klein said. “You learn what you’re good at and what you’re not so good at, and in the process you can actually begin to cut other people slack because in the process of building self respect it actually teaches you to respect other people. You begin to realize that your strengths may be their weaknesses and vice versa.”

ENTPs are inspired innovators, motivated to find new solutions to intellectually challenging problems. They are curious and clever, and seek to comprehend the people, systems and principles that surround them.

across Facebook.”

By Jonna Hopper Student Writer

Junior Haley Phillips and senior Creed Burkhead won a Facebook contest that gave them their wedding venue, Robbins–Sanford Grand Hall in downtown Searcy, free of charge.

The couple spent two weeks campaigning online for votes from family, friends and to the far corners of their online circles. They used their signature hashtag, #BecomingABurkhead, throughout the competition. Phillips and Burkhead’s engagement picture is now displayed on the homepage of the venue’s website.

“My dad works at Acxiom and he had an email go out to the whole company,” Phillips said. “And (from that) we had people voting all the way from India. It was amazing to see how far the competition reached

Phillips sent out daily messages on Facebook to everyone in her contact list that said they would vote to remind them about the competition. The couple spent the two weeks constantly monitoring how they were doing in the competition.

Burkhead is a member of Knights social club and had his club voting daily as well.

Junior Sara Anne Gill is one of Phillips’ bridesmaids. The two became friends while serving as Resident Assistants in Pattie Cobb last semester.

“Every time I got on Facebook, more and more people were sharing it,” Gill said. “I found out my suitemates were voting for her and they didn’t even know her, they just saw it on Facebook.” Winning this contest will save the

couple $3,400. They received more than 9,000 votes over the span of two weeks ending on Valentine’s Day.

Since Phillips is from Vilonia, Ark., and Burkhead is from Fort Worth, Texas, the couple chose Searcy as a central location for both families to meet.

Burkhead worked in his hometown during the summer to buy the ring for Phillips, even working 10 double shifts in a row at his job at Starplex Cinemas Movie Theater. The couple got engaged on Oct. 25 when Burkhead surprised Phillips while taking family pictures.

The couple said they are looking forward to their upcoming wedding especially with the added surprise of not having to pay for their venue.

“She hasn’t made the wedding just about her, she takes time to ask my opinion about things and make it about us,” Burkhead said.

LINDA FERELLE| The Bison

Senior Elizabeth Harper models her fashion style on Feb. 24. Harper spent a week at the New York Fashion Show with blogger and alumna Emily Gemma.

Senior gets ‘the full New York experience’

EASON| The Bison

graphic by CINA CATTEAU

By Toria Parrett | Student Writer

Mission trip plane tickets have been purchased and beach condos have been reserved in anticipation of spring break. However, don’t feel bummed if you are spending your spring break at home this year. ough it may not sound as glamorous as time in the sand or as exciting as working in another country, there are plenty of things you can do to be productive if you are spending your spring break at home.

Search for summer jobs or internships: Many majors require an internship in order to graduate. Search for internships in your hometown or spend some time researching and applying for jobs in your area.

Update your LinkedIn pro le: Take some time to gure out how to edit your pro le and best use the site to your advantage when applying for jobs.

Update or redesign your resume: A fresh, new look for your resume may be just the thing that sets it apart from other resumes your future employer is seeing.

Search for scholarships: ere are always new scholarships being created for undergraduate and graduate students. Some of the obscure ones do not have many applicants and can be helpful when paying for textbooks or a meal plan. Try looking on www.bigfuture.collegeboard.org.

Apply for graduate schools: If graduate school is in your future, spring break is a good time to start researching di erent schools and lling out applications, a task that can be rather time-consuming.

Build an online portfolio or personal website: is is another self-promotional tool that can really set you apart from the competition you will face for future jobs. It is a great way to showcase your work and help employers nd you.

Start a blog: For some students, writing can be a helpful release or a way to share their interests with others. During the school year, there is not always time to set up a site and write daily. Use your break to create and design a blog and write your rst posts. is may help motivate you to keep it up throughout the rest of the semester.

Organize a personal calendar or planner for the remaining weeks of the semester: Look at the syllabi that your teachers handed out at the beginning of the semester and write in any remaining tests or project due dates. is will help you stay organized as nals week approaches.

Do some spring cleaning: Clean out your drawers, closet or room of old clothes, shoes, etc. If you did not bring it to school with you, chances are you do not need it.

Explore healthier habits: It can be di cult to juggle student life with eating healthy and exercising. Use some of your time with your home kitchen and home gym to experiment with easy, healthier recipes and exercise routines that you may be able to take back to school with you.

By Austin Nightengale Student Writer

Graphic by Cina Catteau

‘Better Call Saul’ surpasses expectations

By David Salley Asst. Sports Editor

If you’re in the 18-25 year old demographic, there’s a decent chance you’ve been sucked into binge-watching the greatest television show of all time, “Breaking Bad,” at some point in year and a half. “Breaking Bad” was, for lack of a better analogy, like drugs to my buddies and me last fall. We needed it. We craved it. I don’t even want to know how many hours we spent flying through episodes trying to catch up to everyone who was watching in real time. (Which we did, by the way, in time to watch the final episode live. One of the greater accomplishments of my time in college.)

Of the lighter, funnier moments in the series (and they were few and far between), most came in the form of shady “lawyer” Saul Goodman, played by Bob Odenkirk, whose uncanny ability

to make the law work for him and his clients kept us just entertained enough to forget about the gruesome acts we saw Walt commit. Saul’s character was a brilliant addition, not just because of his much-needed humor, but also because he made the whole thing seem a tad more realistic. Jesse and Walt weren’t getting out of all of those issues unscathed for five straight seasons without a powerful friend. For the most part, Saul was a secondary character.

It was that line of thinking that made me skeptical when I first heard they were doing a Saul Goodman spin-off show. I didn’t think there was any way that a show entirely about Saul could be good enough to follow the parent series. I, in my cynicism and loyalty to the original show, was merely hoping that it would not tarnish the reputation of its predecessor. I set my expectations far too low for Saul Goodman.

Art gallery features ‘Van Gogh to Rothko’

By Kristina Kiser Student Writer

The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark. is featuring a new exhibit, “Van Gogh to Rothko: Masterworks fromThe Albright-Knox Art Gallery” from Feb. 21 through June 1.

Professor of art and design and department chair, Daniel Adams, believes that students would benefit from visiting Crystal Bridges.

“Crystal Bridges is a museum of American art, but much of what has influenced American art in the 20th century is the artistic avant-garde of the European world,” Adams said.

The visiting “Van Gogh to Rothko” art gallery features 76 masterpieces by 73 of the biggest names in art history including Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Georgia O’Keeffe, Salvador Dali, Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol and Mark Rothko. These pieces are on loan from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, N.Y.

“The works have been arranged in chronological order by art movements, allowing visitors to follow the development of styles as they move through the gallery,” Crystal Bridges media relations manager, Beth Bobbitt said. “For art majors and non-art majors, these are the works that are literally in your art survey textbooks.”

Senior art major Danielle Griffith said she focuses on how important it is to enrich

oneself with different artists and styles to stay inspired for personal works.

“If a young artist wishes to succeed it is important for them to see the professionalism and the business behind creating and selling art,” Griffith said.

Associate professor of art and design Steven Choate feels that Crystal Bridges is a much needed cultural addition to Arkansas.

“Properly speaking, to be effectively educated, one should be culturally literate,” Choate said. “Here is an opportunity for many who might not be able to afford to travel to Amsterdam, London, Paris or New York, to see these masterpieces on our own home turf, and thus grow in exposure, insight and knowledge, by viewing an exhibition of world class art.”

Admission to all temporary exhibitions is free for museum members and for ages 18 and under. General admission for adults is $10.

Dread Pirate The Settlers of Catan Arkham Horror

Dread Pirate is a classic, swashbuckling game. It is dice and card-based, and begins with up to four players starting at home ports. The wind die is thrown and players set sail to pillage or plunder their fortune. By winning high-sea skirmishes, out-thinking others in quests for treasure and surviving random events, from kraken attacks to spates of scurvy, players strive to become the most “Dread Pirate” of the land and sea. A typical game can last a little more than an hour.

The Settlers of Catan is a strategy game where you race against up to three other players to gain supremacy of the island of Catan. Starting out with two settlements, you draw wheat, sheep, wood, brick or ore from surrounding hexagonal resource tiles, based on a dice roll at the beginning of each turn. Players use these resources to build roads, settlements, upgrade settlements to cities or buy development cards.

The goal is to be the first player to reach 10 victory points, which are accrued by building settlements, cities, having the longest road, largest army or various development cards. However, with four expansions available, the base game is only the start. A typical game can last about an hour.

Based on the mythos of H. P. Lovecraft, Arkham Horror makes for a unique experience with the element of teamwork required to win. The game can be played with one to eight players. Players choose their “investigator” from more than 47 playable characters, and find themselves in the city of Arkham, with strange things afoot. Players do their part by battling hideous monsters, exploring unique locations and closing or sealing gates to other dimensions.

The ultimate goal of the game is to seal enough gates to prevent “The Ancient One” from awaking and essentially ruining everyone’s day. Finish your homework and bring some snacks, because a typical game of four players can last three to five hours. However, even without any of the eight available expansions, Arkham Horror is not one to disappoint.

I’m not going to say that “Better Call Saul” is as good as “Breaking Bad.” But it’s really good so far. Granted, we’re only four episodes in, but the show has already wildly exceeded critics’ and viewers’ expectations. The plot has been relatively simple through the first few episodes — it’s the Saul Goodman backstory. You see how he got his start and the way he made his connections that come into play in the “Breaking Bad” story arc. You get a sense of who Saul is, and was, before Walt and Jesse came strolling into his office. I will say that from what I’ve seen so far, Saul wasn’t always a criminal who goes out of his way to help people peddle meth. But, as you could probably guess, he has always been slippery. If you are a fan of “Breaking Bad,” you will really enjoy what “Better Call Saul” has to offer. Despite my initial misgivings, I highly recommend it.

You can stop trying to wrap your head around it, three-player chess is just about as confusing as it sounds. The goal is the same as regular chess, but when one player gets checkmated, even the player who was not checkmated loses. This means temporary alliances are a must. Games last as long as typical chess games, dependent on skill.